The Silver Tiger Plaque
Jin-pa let out a delighted cry. “Ah! Found her!”
She had come to the scene of the commotion on a hunch, and there she was—Ok-yeon. Ok-yeon studied her face carefully. Just like with Du-chung, it was difficult to read any clear emotion on Jin-pa’s expression. Hadn’t someone once said that a true merchant must know how to hide their heart?
“Were you looking for me?”
What kind of merchant was Jin-pa, truly? Was she a hidden dagger like Du-chung, concealing both her strength and her intentions? Or was she exactly as she appeared—an enthusiastic and passionate young woman?
“Huh? That person is…”
Jin-pa, who had been approaching Ok-yeon, caught sight of the man collapsed by the roadside and flinched in shock. She, too, was a seasoned veteran of Nanyang. If Du-chung had dragged the man in as a key figure, there was no way she wouldn’t recognize him.
“Do you know him?”
“He used to work with me.”
“Oh my.”
Though she called him a former colleague, the emotion on her face looked far closer to contempt than pity. The only trace of regret was the slight sorrow one might feel at seeing any corpse. Jin-pa quickly lost interest in the dead man and focused entirely on Ok-yeon.
“Young miss, I was terribly rude to you earlier. Could we speak for a moment?”
“Of course. Let’s go, So-yeon.”
So-yeon, who had been staring blankly at the corpse, broke into a bright smile and came running. She grabbed Ok-yeon’s hand tightly.
“H-hey? Lady Jegal!”
“Thank you for looking after So-yeon.”
Ma Cheon-yu, left standing alone, reached out toward Ok-yeon’s retreating back. She turned at his call and offered a polite bow.
“She just left? What the hell? This feels weirdly off.”
“It would be best if you didn’t get entangled with that woman, young master. I mean it this time.”
“I knew it was real!”
Ok-yeon showed Jin-pa the Silver Tiger Plaque. Since she had already toppled one corner of the Nanyang branch, it no longer mattered whether Jin-pa was sincere or not. Now that the vice branch leader had died a violent death, how would the main headquarters respond?
If they’re incompetent, they’ll act incompetently. If they’re greedy, they’ll act with greed. What they’ll do is obvious.
If Du-chung truly was Eun Baek-jung’s loyal dog as expected, separate interference would surely arrive. Originally, it might have been better to keep Du-chung alive and monitor him, but she had felt that doing so would make infiltrating this branch far too difficult.
On the other hand, if everything Du-chung had tried to explain was true, then he had been fighting alone to protect Nanyang. In that case, the other side would try to exploit the resulting gap. Why else would Nanyang—where talented people gathered and the system had long been established—show such unusually poor results?
“Why were you looking for me?”
Ok-yeon’s voice carried a hint of displeasure. Jin-pa’s face immediately turned flustered.
“Ahaha… You do know what that Silver Tiger Plaque signifies, right…?”
“Of course I do! To only receive proper treatment after the plaque is revealed! What greater humiliation could there be!”
“I’m sorry… I should have recognized you sooner.”
“Hmph. I wasn’t expecting that much anyway. The elder spoke so highly of you that I thought well of you, but it turns out you’re quite the fool, Lady Jin!”
When Ok-yeon began acting like a spoiled young lady, Jin-pa grew even more flustered. There was also a faint trace of disappointment in her eyes.
“Jin-pa!”
As their conversation continued, the door suddenly burst open.
“Branch manager?”
It was a middle-aged man with graying hair. Being called branch manager, this had to be Cheong-san. Upon spotting Jin-pa, he walked over with a grave expression.
“Du-chung is dead!”
“What…?”
The sudden, shocking news. Jin-pa’s mind flashed back to the commotion at the place where she had found Ok-yeon. The man who had died there had frequently interacted with Du-chung during his time working at the branch.
“That’s not a very funny joke, you know?”
But after noticing Du-chung’s corruption, he would have cut ties with him without hesitation. Therefore, there should be no connection between that scene and Du-chung…
“It’s not a joke. You’re currently— Ah, we have guests. My apologies. There’s an urgent matter, so I must take Manager Jin with me.”
Cheong-san asked for their understanding and led Jin-pa away. In the end, only Ok-yeon and So-yeon were left in Jin-pa’s office.
“…?”
“Eat some snacks, So-yeon.”
“Yes…!”
Perfect. While Jin-pa was gone, Ok-yeon began examining the room. This was Jin-pa’s office and study combined. As the person in charge of the Nanyang branch’s accounting, it was only natural that she managed all the branch’s ledgers.
“There probably won’t be anything truly critical, but there’s still plenty to gain.”
Confirming Du-chung’s death would take quite some time. She could afford to search at her leisure.
“Ten people inside the building, thirty-one outside.”
“So many dead… Something like this in broad daylight…”
The scene of Du-chung’s death was horrific beyond words.
“More than half of those killed outside were local thugs. The rest were mostly third-rate martial artists. But the ones killed inside…”
The vice branch leader of the Eunpa Merchant Group. The leader of a mid-sized sect. A constable with many years of experience. A skilled physician. Each one held no small amount of influence.
“The aftermath will be severe.”
The constable murmured as he gazed at the corpse of his superior.
“Thank you for your assistance. We will inform you of the investigation results later, so you may leave now.”
Cheong-san and Jin-pa, who had pointed out the victims connected to the Nanyang branch—including Du-chung—were given orders to leave. It was a large-scale murder case. It was only natural for the authorities to step in and take control.
“I can’t believe this…”
“Who on earth would…”
On the way back, Jin-pa, who had cried her eyes out, looked completely dazed. This was the first time someone she knew had become a victim of such an incident.
“Pa-ya.”
“Yes… sniff…”
“Forget about this matter.”
“Sniff… What? All of a sudden…?”
“You must have some idea after seeing those corpses.”
“Two uncles just died! What are you saying! How could I possibly forget something like this!”
“Du-chung is not the man you think he— No, never mind. Just think carefully about what kind of people the dead men were. And erase this incident from your memory.”
“The dead people…?”
Jin-pa recalled the faces she knew. Although Du-chung had lost motivation due to the constant interference from headquarters, he had originally been a capable and affable man. Thinking of his death made fresh anger surge within her.
Si Woo-gwang, leader of the Iron Arm Sect. A sect that had recently gained fame through its cooperation with the government. Her close friend Young-gak belonged to the Iron Arm Sect. Several of those killed outside had been members of that sect as well.
“There were rumors that they accepted bribes or framed people who refused to pay…”
It was a strange rumor to attach to someone who always spoke of justice. Moreover, Si Woo-gwang had repeatedly criticized the Eunpa Merchant Group’s Nanyang branch for causing chaos in the local economy due to its decline. He had even recently demanded Cheong-san’s resignation.
“And someone like that was in the same place as Uncle Du…?”
It was quite strange. Then there was the constable Hong Wi-seon. He had been at odds with Si Woo-gwang, accusing him of encroaching on their jurisdiction. He was also the one who had personally investigated the embezzlement scandal at the Nanyang branch over a decade ago. She knew that incident had been the turning point that reversed the branch’s growth into decline.
“And then there are the trash I personally drove out…”
What was this uneasy feeling?
Moonlight flowed softly over her body. Long black hair fluttered in the breeze, and sweat slid down along the pale line of her neck and shoulders. She wore only a single layer of thin white robes. Moonlight seeped through the fabric, rendering her skin almost translucent.
She placed both hands over her lower dantian and closed her eyes. The cold energy of the Reverse-Blood Divine Art slowly spread from her dantian. The chill flowing through her meridians created a faint frost beneath her skin. Her breath escaped in white puffs. The frost forming at the corners of her mouth sparkled white as it caught the light.
Swish…
The sleeve of her robe fluttered slightly in the wind. The cold energy rose through her meridians, spreading from her neck all the way to the crown of her head. The tips of her hair seemed to freeze and glitter. Her breath grew colder and colder. The white vapor pouring from her lips grew thicker, as if a faint mist were rising around her.
Huu…
With a long exhale, her chest slowly sank. The robe clung to her body, soaked through with sweat. It had been a long time since she had felt this discomfort with her current form. When she had been a man, she had casually stripped and trained without a second thought.
She opened her eyes.
“My energy has weakened. To think I used only that much power…”
Du-chung had been stronger than expected, so she had poured out more power than intended. But had she used so much that it couldn’t be recovered instantly through qi circulation and breathing exercises? She didn’t think so.
The martial art created to survive the Yeon-yeon Blood Valley—the Reverse-Blood Divine Art. It was undoubtedly a profound divine skill, but its efficiency outside the valley was terribly poor.
“I’ll need to reach great completion before I can use this heart technique properly.”
She had instinctively realized it after leaving the valley. To truly wield this heart technique, she would need to attain great completion. Today had simply confirmed that realization once more.
The only problem was that she had no idea how to reach that realm. It had already been well over a month since she left the blood valley. It seemed the rapid progress she had experienced there would not continue.
“Perhaps I need a catalyst…”
It was a difficult problem. The moment when she would have to reveal her full power would surely come. Before then, it seemed nearly impossible to perfect her strength.
Among the martial artists she had seen since leaving the valley, the strongest had been the White-Robed Gentleman, Jegal Hyun. It was no wonder Hong Mae had once been smitten with him. He was truly a powerful warrior. Even the faint aura he emanated had given her the instinctive feeling that facing him would be extremely difficult.
He was the young clan leader of the Jegal Clan and one of the current generation’s Dragons. Without ever stagnating, he had become a Transcendental Peak expert.
“If I had ambushed him while he was off guard, could I have killed him…?”
She couldn’t say for sure. Not being able to say for sure meant she couldn’t even gauge the possibility. Carelessness could cause even an absolute master to die a violent death, yet she simply could not picture herself striking the vital point of that cold-blooded man.
“I still have a long way to go.”
In her heart, she had wanted to identify her enemies the moment she left the blood valley and punish them all. But she lacked both martial prowess and information. She had never expected to achieve everything at once, yet realizing her own shortcomings was still painful.
“Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry, young miss.”
Jin-pa came running. Deep shadows were etched across her face.
“You don’t look well. From what I heard earlier, it seems the vice branch leader has passed away. If your heart is troubled, perhaps we should postpone our meeting?”
“No, no! It’s fine. There are plenty of people who will clear the vice branch leader’s name.”
“Clear his name… Do you mean he was murdered?”
“Ah… I didn’t mean to burden you with such terrible news right after meeting you. But it does seem that way.”
“How awful… You must be devastated.”
“I’m really alright. I’m sure the vice branch leader wouldn’t have wanted me to sit in a corner crying my eyes out.”
Jin-pa smiled with her swollen eyes.
“I’ll finish what I was trying to tell you earlier. I’ve been waiting for someone like you, young miss.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Since it seems you harbor a deep grudge against Chairman Eun Baek-jung, I’ll speak plainly. I want to change this merchant group! I want to restore it to the great merchant group it once was!”
“And for that, you need the owner of the Silver Tiger Plaque?”
“Exactly! It’s simple why Eun Baek-jung hasn’t been removed despite being incompetent, corrupt, and producing the worst results! There is no focal point among those who want to pull him down! I want you to become that focal point!”
“So that’s why you were so desperately searching for the owner of the Silver Tiger Plaque.”
“Uh… Y-yes, that’s right?”
Jin-pa seemed incapable of lying. If everything she had shown so far had been an act, she would have to be impossibly thick-skinned.
“I’m sorry… That was a lie. I hadn’t thought it through. All I did was imagine summoning a powerful martial artist to sweep everyone away…”
“You came to the right person.”
“…? Ah, yes, of course. Young miss, if you wish to take revenge on Eun Baek-jung, would you consider joining hands with me?”
Ok-yeon recalled the documents she had discovered in Jin-pa’s study. Jin-pa had not left any evidence there that would be dangerous to anyone. If she had, it would mean Eun Baek-ho’s eyes had been gravely mistaken.
What Ok-yeon had found were records of when the Nanyang branch had begun its serious decline, and who had been involved in the incidents that caused that decline. There had been roughly three major incidents. In every case, Cheong-san had been involved.
Cheong-san had kept his position as branch manager but had lost nearly all influence. At first glance, it made Du-chung’s words appear truthful. However, all those incidents had erupted after Du-chung had cleaned up matters in Sichuan and come under Cheong-san.
And among those who had suffered because of Cheong-san, one of the men whose neck had fallen by Ok-yeon’s hand today had been included.
Why Du-chung had treated the true owner of the Silver Tiger Plaque with such respect. Why he had taken the drastic step of gathering his colleagues. The exact reasons remained unclear. He might still have felt loyalty toward Eun Baek-ho. He might have had his own ambitions. Or he might have been convinced that suppressing Ok-yeon with force was impossible.
There were simply too many possibilities.
But.
At the very least, the Nanyang branch’s descent into decline had been—
Something Du-chung orchestrated.
Ok-yeon’s ‘instinct’ had not been wrong. He was a talent the Eunpa Merchant Group did not need for its revival.
Though even if I’m wrong, it doesn’t matter.